One and only
by Alialka
Summary: Zack and Tifa, told with fifty themed sentences. Enjoy your reading!


Epsilon theme set, snagged from LJ's 1sentence community.

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**001  
****Motion:** She loved how he reacted, loved to feel it and to know she was the reason behind the rapid flex of muscles; and so she hummed, worked her throat and strong hands fisted long hair, as her name was a deep moan in the night's air.

**002  
****Cool: **The silken robe fell to the floor softly, pooling at her bare feet and there she stood, proud and strong in all of her naked glory, dimmed red eyes gazing into his from half closed lids – but when his hands touched her hips, Zack could see how she struggled to keep the facade up.

**003  
Y****oung:** She fell asleep, all curled and soft, inches from him yet so far away, her arms wrapped around her frame, either for warmth or protection; Zack's lips arched in a sad smile, knowing she dreamt of the days that burnt and reeked of smoked blood, knowing she never had a chance to be young.

**004  
****Last:** She whimpered slightly, as she pulled Zack close, her arms and legs tightening their hold, his ragged breath the only sound in her ears as the last threads of composure slipped away, leaving only her, him, _them._

**005  
****Wrong:** Forrest green and sky blue flashed behind his closed lids as his fingers undid each button on the white corset top, a warm, smaller body pressed against his, his lips moving against a mouth both soft and hard , so very wrong, but _oh!_ so very right.

**006  
****Gentle:** Zack's gloved fingers brushed away tufts of chocolate hair damp with sweat and blood, smearing the claret liquid on porcelain skin before he breathed out heavily, seeing how her eyes dimmed with every passing second , begging, pleading, _hating_; he wanted nothing more than to carry her away, protect her, but he couldn't, _he couldn't…._

**007  
****One:** In the darkness she was soft and warm, and his fingers threaded the midnight hair gently; feeling her breath slowing down, the warm puffs of air hitting his cooling skin, Zack could only thank the heavens for blessing him with a woman such as this.

**008  
****Thousand:** Back in the day, he used to know a lot of women, witty and smart and silly and not all that bright, and he enjoyed every one while it lasted; but not one could hold his interest in so many simple ways as Tifa did.

**009  
****King:** He felt like he could take on the whole world, like he was the king of life itself; like there was no force, no man that could beat him now as the small "yes" echoed in the corners of his mind, her lips soft under his.

**010  
****Learn:** He would be patient, or so Zack told himself, as she trembled under his fingers and angled mouth, as her legs found their way around his hips and she once again discovered what it was to be a woman.

**011  
****Blur:** Tifa's world was made of black and blue, blending together and then fading to black steel, before shattering at her feet, before blood spilled over and before she forgot his voice.

**012  
****Wait:** Tifa took a deep breath, took one step forward and reached out for him, fingers trembling as they touched the sharp lines of his face – tips barely brushing against the scar – and he knew now it was worth the wait.

**013  
****Change:** When Zack threw her the very first compliment, she blinked with surprise before laughing; it was corny and tacky and she was glad he didn't change despite everything he had ever faced.

**014  
****Command:** "Get up!" she screamed, falling down to her knees in the mess that was mud, rain and blood, her hands fisting a shirt already torn apart "Get up…" voice cracking and hot tears falling onto his chest as she broke, face buried in the imbrued mess of his shirt, her cheeks already smeared with crimson; he barely saw her through the heavy mist but he managed to smile, one last time as numb fingers brushed against damp hair; "Be safe"

**015  
****Hold:** The insides of his palm were rough and callused, skin scratchy from wielding his sword too much, while the skin over her knuckles was hard and coarse; and all the while it never felt more right than when she offered him his hand.

**016  
****Need:** "You want me" he kissed along the stubborn jaw, feeling her press up against him, her hips rocking as his hands slid under the tight jeans; "No, I _need _you" eager were her voice and fingers.

**017  
****Vision:** At first she only stood there, as rooted that one spot, until her vision became foggy and only then did she blink – he was dead, dead, _dead_ – and when Zack smiled his "Hey Teef" smile, it all became black.

**018  
****Attention:** Zack's lips twisted in a sly smirk as the towel came off loose, falling into a soft beige puddle at his bare feet, Tifa's words dying halfway out of a suddenly dry mouth and her eyes darkening as she took in his frame.

**019  
****Soul:** Everyone believed it was her friend who kept her safe in the Lifestream – the gentle Centra whose life was taken by the cursed blade of a mad man; she didn't tell anyone, that amidst the screams of lost souls, she saw bright blue and midnight black and heard the usually joyful voice say that this time, he won't leave her.

**020****  
Picture:** Sepia was strangely rough beneath her fingers, as she looked at the smooth surface, at the face she wished she never saw, of the man who brought only destruction and bloodshed; then she forced herself to look at the other one… the man who still lingered behind.

**021  
****Fool:** Zack's eyes softened – she was so determined to make him see her point, with her hands spread and palms turned upwards, that it was a stupid, foolish thing to love her – as he took the few missing steps and saw the claret depths fill with something akin to hope; his hands cupped the smaller face, and he felt the stubborn chin shake in his palms when he smiled "I'll be that fool for you".

**022  
****Mad:** _Insane_, that what they all would call her, if the saw her now – still dirty, still with dried blood on her arms, shorts drenched with the water that brought so much life, her fingers curled around the dull edges of the sword – but the blade still cut her skin, blood flowing down strong hands as she finally screamed from the very core of her being.

**023  
****Goodbye:** Guilt had sharp, tiny claws that it loved to unsheathe all of the sudden, their sharp tips digging deep into the very core, reminding her that the last words she ever said to him were full of hate; and she never got to say goodbye…

**024  
****Now:** Tifa bit his lip, hard enough to taste copper and pressed up against him, her hand rubbing the front of his pants – "I want you Zack" never sounded so good as right now.

**025  
****Shadow:** Sometimes, in the depth of the night when she would lay awake and making friends with the shadows creeping up the wall, the memory of black and brilliant blue rose in her mind; her lips would part then in heavy breaths and eyes would burn with long forgotten tears.

**026  
****Child:** Tifa knew she shouldn't and still couldn't help but smile, as he stuck one finger into the still warm chocolate mass, before happily licking off the treat; sometimes she really thought she lived with three children, not two.

**027  
****Hide:** Tifa could feel warmth spreading down her neck as he stopped her, brushing some hair out of her eyes lovingly and whispering "Stop hiding" against her lips.

**028  
****Fortune:** The urge to smash the bloody mascot into the nearest wall dissolved when Tifa picked up the crushed paper – "better luck next time!" written in black ink – and laughed so loud and so freely that Zack decided he'll break Cait Sith later.

**029  
****Safe:** It was when Tifa woke up in the middle of the night, cheeks damp and dry throat, when his hands were there, at her shoulders, warm and steady and when in the darkness Zack would just hold her, not saying one word… when finally felt safe.

**030  
****Ghost:** Guilt gnawed at her heart at moments like these – because his eyes weren't exactly in _that_ shade of blue, and his hands weren't exactly _that_ rough with her, and lips didn't kiss her in just the right way and his hair was so much shorter, so much brighter, reminding her that she was alive, so much alive and _he _could only haunt her dreams.

**031  
****Book:** Tifa could remember the stories her mother loved to read – cheap romances the travelling merchants would sell, with broken spines and curled pages – and could remember how she thought them stupid; until her own life turned out just like that, with death and tragic and the love of a hero at the end.

**032  
****Eye:** Barret was mumbling furiously, curses filling the most of his vocabulary as he stormed pass her, leaving the barmaid wide eyed until Zack came from the kitchen; swollen lip and black eye told Tifa everything she needed to know – Zack could never hold his tongue, anyway.

**033  
****Never:** His jaw tightened as he sat down on the bed carefully - not to wake her up, she had too little sleep as it was – and he kept watching the steady rise and fall of her chest; his eyes darkened as he took in the faint line of the scar and Zack knew he would never let her be hurt again.

**034  
****Sing:** Despite the black eye and all the curses she welcomed him with, Zack thought it was a small price to pay to learn that Tifa Lockhart really _did_ sing while taking a shower.

**035  
****Sudden:** She wasn't all that surprised… after all, Zack did everything he could to get into her personal space, and by the looks of it – he wasn't going anywhere soon; what came as a shock however was the fact that she didn't mind at all.

**036  
****Stop:** Her breaths came out as torn gasps, head pushed back into the wall before her hands fisted black hair and she pulled hard, giving him a firm look from beneath the sweat damp fringe; "If you stop now, I will hurt you" she growled against Zack's lips.

**037  
****Time:** Marlene asked her on that day, when she rearranged the pretty flowers against a clean blade, if there was anything she regretted and forever would; red eyes clouded then and lips trembled, fingers itching to be dragged along the fine metal – and Tifa answered, voice tight and raspy, that she regretted not saying "thank you" in time.

**038  
****Wash:** He really shouldn't be thinking thought like that - she was just doing the dishes for Gaia's sake! – but it was all up and down, turn and twist at the bottom, and the slow move of her hand and the rag on the smooth surface of the cylindrical glass made him shift and readjust his trousers.

**039  
****Torn:** Tifa found herself torn between laughing and pitying Zack as she looked out the window – how the kids were able to talk him into posing for snowman was beyond her, but they even managed to stick a carrot in his mouth.

**040  
****History:** He always would be amazed by everything that was between those two – forgotten promises, steady hands, hearts forever interwined – but what matter the most, that it was his bed Tifa rested in every night.

**041  
****Power:** In the pitch black Tifa could see tiny little red dots swirling and she cursed the sudden power fail; but when urgent fingers worked their way under the short skirt, traced lace, her eyelids fluttered open and only then she realized she closed them the very moment Zack pressed his mouth against hers.

**042  
****Bother:** Zack stood outside her door for a longer moment, dreading to disturb her or cause her any more distress, before her hitched breathing reached his ear – knob cold under his clammy palm – and in a matter of seconds Tifa's form was small and shaking in his arms and "I'm here" washed over her ear.

**043  
****God: **His lips arched into a satisfied smirk against the sweaty skin between her neck and shoulder, as she clamped her hands on his shoulders, nails digging in, hips jerking more into his hand, back arching and then the "Oh God, Zack!!" told him everything.

**044  
****Wall:** She was stubborn and he was persistent, but as he lay down, hands pinned above her head, the only shield between them was sheer lace and soft cotton.

**045  
****Naked:** The first time she undressed herself in front of him was something Zack would never forget – not because each piece of clothing that found its way to the floor revealed more of the glorious body – but because with slow moves and shaking hands, Tifa stripped of all shields and defenses.

**046  
****Drive:** One of the very first things Zack learned about her, was the simple fact that Tifa abhorred loneliness – it scared her, shook the pillars of her world and shattered her heart – driving her to desperately cling to him as soon as he stepped into her room, breath shallow and eyes closed shut.

**047  
****Harm:** She was broken and ripped open, life escaping her with every breath and his heart broke – heroes protected the innocent, saved them, straightened their lives – and yet, she lay here, bleeding at his feet, reminding him that he failed to protect her from harm, that he was only human, that he was no hero at all.

**048  
****Precious:** It was the soft, grey hours just before dawn that she came to cherish; his presence was most felt, and the way his would breath her name rang in her ears - but with the first ray of sun she would be robbed of the precious touch.

**049  
****Hunger:** She was greedy and he was willing, their clothed scattered all over the floor, the skin on her back reddened from the scratchy surface of the wall and Zack's eagerness; but he came back - alive and in one piece - and Tifa didn't want to wait a second longer.

**050  
****Believe:** Zack never believed he would be offered a safe heaven, not after all the blood that spilled from his hands, but this was so much better – lost in her hair, her breath ragged and raspy and feeling the cold side of the pillow pressed against his cheek.


End file.
